The Dirty Detective: Fallout New Vegas Mysteries
by PotCFan101
Summary: Jack Groves is a private detective in the Mojave Wasteland of Nevada. Documented here are several cases that have stood out to him and his partner and muscle, Boone, over the years. Plus, attached to the files is a rare, pre-war case recording. Rated M for a couple sexual themes, graphic violence, and a bit of horror.
1. Case 1: Bullet to the Brain

The first thing that hit me when I became conscious: the smell of an old, worn out bed. Once my eyes adjusted, I realized I was in some kind of house. Apparently, an old one, given the stench and no air conditioning. And then, I heard an old man, roughly in his mid-eighties, speak.

"You're awake. How about that."

I tried to get out of bed, but my legs got wobbly. The old man who spoke grabbed hold of me and set me back down. He looked around mid-eighties, just like how he sounded, and wore an old farm hand uniform with a neckerchief.

"Woah. Easy. You've been out a couple of days now. Why don't you relax a second. Get your bearings. And we'll see what the damage is. Can you tell me your name?" He asked.

"Jack Groves. I'm a detective" I replied.

"Well, if that's your name, then that's your name. I'm Doc Mitchell, and welcome to Goodsprings." Doc said. "I had to go through your head to get the lead out. Lemme know if I misplaced something", handing me a mirror.

"Nope, looks fine. Thank you" I told him.

"Well, I got most of it right anyway. C'mon, I need to take a few more tests"

After a few more psychiatric evaluations, Doc Mitchell finally let me go, but not before giving me back my things, including a note about a platinum chip, and lending me his pip-boy glove.

"Thanks for patching me up Doc. Do you know anything about the man who shot me?" I told him.

"Sorry, I don't. You should see Sunny Smiles at the saloon. She'll help you fend for yourself. And ask around town for information, starting with the metal fella Victor." Doc replied. And with that I walked out.

Right when I left, I ran straight into Victor. I recognized him as one of the bigger models of a securitron, with a cowboy picture on a TV as a face.

"Howdy, pardner! Might I say, you're looking fit as a fiddle!" the robot greeted me.

"Thanks for digging me out, Victor. Do you who those men were who attacked me?" I asked him.

"Only that he had a checkered suit on him. You should ask at the saloon. I think he and his friends went in there." Victor replied.

So, I went to the saloon, where I met Sunny Smiles. She was a good teacher, and taught me to shoot properly, but I declined her invitation to hunt geckos, as I needed to find the guy who "killed" me. I met the bartender, Trudy, who was in her late thirties, and had an interesting voice.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm trying to track down the people who attacked me. Know anything about them?" I asked her.

"Not much, other than that they're freeloaders, their leader was in a fancy checkered suit, who expected a few rounds on the house. I was able to get them to pay up though." Trudy told me. "Oh course, one of the Great Khans, their group name, did knock my radio to the floor 'by accident', and it hasn't been working since"

"Did my attackers say where they were going?" I further asked.

"They had an argument about it, but the man in the checkered coat kept shushing them. Sounded like they came North through Quarry Junction, and if that's the case, I don't blame them for not wanting to go back." She replied.

"Why's that?" I asked again.

"Because that whole place is overrun by Deathclaws, that's why" Trudy said bluntly.

"So where did they go?" I pushed on.

"I didn't hear exactly, but the leader was talking about the strip." Trudy told me. "But if he wants to get there while avoiding Quarry Junction, he'd have to Go East to Primm, then circle North." She informed me.

"Thanks" I told her, then left and checked out my grave. Once I got to the cemetery, there I only found a few cigarette butts near the grave, recently smoked, because they were still hot.

I needed to get to Primm anyway to inquire my supposed delivery of the Platinum Chip with the Mojave Express Administrator there, so I set off right after I fixed Trudy's busted up radio. Along the way, I had to kill a few geckos, but there wasn't anything too big.

When I got to Primm, I was met outside by an NCR trooper.

"Hey, where the Hell do you think you're going? Primm is off limits" He told me.

"Thanks for the warning, but I can take care of myself" I retorted.

"Fine. It's your ass, don't say you weren't warned" he replied before leaving.

I went to the bridge to the town Primm, where I found a small minefield. After tiptoeing through it, having to disarm a few, and safely made it across. Unfortunately, when I got to the other side I was instantly attacked by Raiders and escaped convicts. After picking off a few, I slipped inside a nearby building, called the Vicki and Vance Casino. Once Inside, I was greeted by a man named Johnson Nash.

"I don't know what it is that brought you to Primm, youngster, but you might want to rethink your plans. The town's gone to Hell. By the way, I'm Johnson Nash" he told me.

"I was a courier for the Mojave Express, and I lost a package I was to deliver" I said, showing Nash the Express order.

"Oh… that package. That job had strange written all over it, but we couldn't turn down the caps" Nash said, mysteriously.

"Well, some men stole my package, and left me for dead. It was a man in a checkered suit, and some thugs. Did they happen to pass this way?" I asked Nash.

"Well, now that you mention it, a few nights back one of the townies was out scavenging for supplies" Johnson said. "Said he saw a fella in a daisy suit with some Great Khan misfits, talking about a chip."

"One of those men shot me. I need the best way to get to them" I said, anxious.

"For that, your best bet is speaking to Deputy Beagle. He was keeping notes on them since they got here, and was slinking around Bison Steve when your friend came through. He might've heard where they're going" Nash said.

"OK, thanks" I told him.

I quickly exited the Casino, and went into the Bison Steve hotel. Once inside, I was instantly greeted by two convicts with shotguns. I quickly dispatched the two, and then started searching for Beagle. I eventually came to a locked door, but with my lockpick skill, I found out it led to a maintenance hallway, and led straight to Beagle's location, where he greeted me.

"I don't suppose you're here to rescue me? I'd cross my fingers, but my hands are numb" Beagle sadly said.

"You must be Beagle" I said.

"Yes I am. Pleasure to meet you" he tried to sound tougher in his situation. "I'm in a bit of a predicament here. I'd be most appreciative if you'd set me free."

"I'll set you free now. But I'm not cutting you loose just so you can run away. Stick with me!" I ordered him.

"Oh that's so gracious of you, to bodyguard me like that, but I'd only slow you down. See you outside!" and with that, he started running. Unfortunately, he was almost instantly gunned down by convicts waiting for them, so I had to kill them all. Once they were all dead, I snagged Beagle's journal and read it:

 _This is most unusual! The Powder Gangers have visitors today. I guess there's a first for everything! Now those tough-looking fellows must be Great Khans. I recognize those funny helmets and leather vests from stories I've heard..._

 _So what are they doing with that dapper gentleman who wears a checked suit? I wouldn't mind a suit like that. They're talking about heading south toward Nipton, then west to Novac where they'll meet up with someone..._

 _I guess I could track them if I needed to, but the town of Primm needs me here, to serve and protect._

 _Oh my. I think I've been spotted…_

With the location in mind, I set off to Nipton, then got to Novac. There wasn't much that happened on the way, aside from the occasional Powder Ganger. Once I got to Nipton, the place looked like it got pillaged. I quickly discovered it was the work of Caesar's Legion. I decided not to tangle with them, as I was outnumbered, and because I needed to get to Novac, so I continued on my way.

It was nighttime when I got to Novac, so I rented a room and the Dino motel. While there, I also went to the front desk and asked the manager, Jeannie May Crawford, if she saw a man in a checkered suit come here.

"Yes, I saw him. Don't know much about him, so you might wanna ask Manny Vargas, he should be in his room now" Crawford told me.

I decided to get some rest first, so by the time I went to Manny's room, he wasn't there. I checked his computer, and he had a message from the Khans:

 _Manny,_

 _You made the right choice, putting us up and keeping it quiet. This weasel Benny's been twitchy since we stole that package from his boss. Making me nervous as hell. But when I found out we'd be passing through on our way to Boulder City, I was sure we could count on you. Let the other Khans say what they want. I know where your loyalty is._

 _One day you'll remember where you belong, and your brothers and sisters will welcome you back like you never left. You know where to find us._

 _McMurphy_

I traveled to Boulder City a little later, but not before picking up a companion named Boone. Good thing I found him too, because when we got to the city, the outskirts were plagued by radscorpions. Luckily, with his help, we took them all out with ease.

When we finally got to the entrance, another NCR trooper greeted us, named Lieutenant Monroe.

"We got a situation with some Great Khans now. I've been ordered to lock the place down." He said gruffly.

"These Great Khans have something of mine- a Platinum Chip" I informed him.

"Once the Khans are captured, you can retrieve whatever property was taken from you. Right now, though, I gotta figure out how to get two of my men out of there alive" Monroe replied.

"I might be able to negotiate a deal with the Great Khans" I said, getting an idea.

"Normally, I'd turn you down, because I have no idea who you are. But considering the hostages will be good as dead if we attack…" he said, thoughtfully. "Alright, I'm going to give you a chance to talk with the Khans. Their leader is Jessup. But if we hear shooting, we'll come in. Good luck."

With that, I went into the city. The Khans didn't attack, I guess that was because NCR didn't start shooting. Fine with me, as long as I got to Jessup. He was hiding at the office in the back.

"What the Hell? You're that courier Benny wasted back in Goodsprings! You're supposed to be dead" Jessup said once he saw me, surprised.

"I got better. Now, where's the Platinum Chip?" I asked.

"I don't have it. Benny stole it, right after he stabbed us in the back. He's probably at the Strip now, laughing at me" He said, solemnly.

"Alright. Now, about the NCR: if you let the hostages free now, the NCR will let you go" I told him.

"OK, thanks. Oh, and here's a souvenir. It's Benny's cigarette lighter. Be sure to shove it up his ass the next time you see him" He said, sounding angry.

I thought he wasn't telling me everything, so I gave Boone a signal, and we killed Jessup and his bodyguard. I then looted Jessup and found this chairman job offer on him:

 _Thought you'd like to know that one of the Chairman Bigwigs from The Tops is looking to hire muscle for a job out by Goodsprings. I don't what it's about, though - the details are all hush hush._

 _The pay seems too good to be true, but I figured I'd pass the info your way in case it's all on the level. Let me know and I'll put you in contact with this Benny Fellow._

I got what I needed, so I went outside, but Boone and I were instantly attacked by the Great Khans for killing Jessup. Luckily, we were able to kill them all, and the hostages got away. After that mess, we left Boulder City, and ran into Victor about a mile out.

"Howdy pardner!" Victor exclaimed.

"Good to see you Victor. Did Benny come this way?" I asked him.

"Sure did! Guess it's down to you and Fancy Pants now. I'm on my way to Vegas right now" the robot said.

"Alright, I'll see you there" I said, and then continued onto New Vegas.

It took half a day to reach the front gate, and luckily, there weren't any obstacles. Before going in, I bought a few weapons and ammo from the local vendortron, then went into Freeside, the outer town. Once inside, I headed to the inner gate, were I showed the securitron there that I had 2,000 caps required to go in. I was then greeted by Victor again.

"Howdy pardner! You've come far a piece, haven't you? Welcome to New Vegas!" exclaimed the robot.

"Point me to the Tops Victor. I got a score to settle" I told him.

"I know you got a mind for vengeance, but Mr. House is itching to meet you. He's at the Lucky 38" Victor said.

"Tell Mr. House I might stop by. We'll see" I said, unfazed.

"Don't you dawdle, little doggie! Mr. House isn't someone you want to go about snubbing. He'll be waiting" Victor Warned.

I heeded the warning, but went to the Tops first. I had to find Benny. Sadly, the chairman had to confiscate my weapons. Luckily, I was able to hold onto a few small melee weapons, and a small revolver. Immediately though, I went to talk to Swank, Benny's receptionist.

"There's something you should know about Benny. He's planning on double crossing Mr. House, and taking over New Vegas. He also tried to kill me for the Platinum Chip" I informed him, showing him all the evidence I found.

"Wow. OK, I'll hold Benny off, while you go check his suite, it's the double doors on the 13th floor. Here's the key. Oh, and here's your weapons back" Swank said.

I went up to the 13th floor and into Benny's room, no problem. At first there wasn't anything suspicious, until I found a hole in the wall, that showed a securitron with a smiley face.

"Hi there! Benny reprogrammed me! Now I'm helping him take over New Vegas! By the way, my name is Yes Man!" said the robot.

"He's trying to take over the Strip?" I asked.

"Sure is! That's what he needs the Platinum Chip for!" said Yes Man.

That was all I needed to hear. I went back to the main floor, and spoke with Swank that Benny was trying to take over New Vegas. I then told him that I was going to take him out. Right after that, I met Benny near the elevator.

"What in the Goddamn-?" Benny almost said. "Let's keep this in the groove, hey? Smooth moves, like smooth little babies."

"Jig's up, Benny. I spoke with Yes Man. You're done" I told him.

"Maybe you should hear my… offer, first" Benny said slyly.

"What'd you have in mind?" I asked, suspicious.

"Well, to start, I'll comp you the Presidential- the best suite in the house. You deserve a taste of the VIP lifestyle" Benny assured me. "I'll hang out down here for a while to make everything look business-as-usual, then come to you. Any questions you got, I'll answer-guaranteed."

"Why don't you come up with me?" I asked, hoping to set a trap. Thankfully, it worked.

"If that's what it takes to win your trust, I'm OK with it" he said, giving me the key before going up to the suite, leaving Boone in the lobby. Once we got there, we started talking back and forth about what the Chip is for, and how I survived this long. Eventually, I got tired of talking, and pulled out my gun, telling him that he needs to pay for what he's done.

"I should've known it'd come to this" Benny sighed before pulling out his own pistol. I jumped behind a couch and started the shootoff with Benny. He nicked me in the left arm, thankfully it wasn't my gun arm, but I got two shots in the chest on him. I then finished him off with a headshot, and took his gun, suit, and Platinum Chip, and then looted the nearby safe for the weapons and cash. Then I went downstairs and informed Swank that Benny's now dead.

"Huh. Guess that makes me head of the Tops. Ring-a-Ding-Ding" he thanked me.

I finally decided to visit Mr. House. Once I got there, I went to the Penthouse to meet Mr. House. When I arrived, I quickly saw that he only communicates through a giant computer.

"You've been a busy courier, haven't you? Now, hand over the Platinum Chip" He told me.

"Sure, all yours" I said, giving him the Chip. "Now, I'll be on my merry way. Pleasure helping you" And before he could say another word, I left to go find a drink and wait for a new case. And that was how I solved my attempted murder.


	2. Case 2: Cannibal Massacre

One time, when I was at the Gomorrah casino, a civilian walked up to me and asks why I, Jack Groves, is nicknamed the "Dirty Detective". Here's the story on why:

It was a hot day in New Vegas, not like it ever changed, being that we were in the middle of the Mojave Wasteland, and I was walking down the Strip, going back to the Presidential suite in the Tops, when I saw a fellow named Walter Phebus, who looked like he could use some help.

"Hello sir. You look more than just too hot- what's the matter?" I approached him.

"I need to settle a score. We didn't come all this way just to stroll our best clothes around" he remarked.

"What was that about settling a score?" I asked.

"There's a long list of grievances Heck Gunderson has to answer for kid, and I'm here to make sure he stops stealing our lands" Phebus informed me.

"What do you plan to do about him?" I inquired.

"I've got no illusions he'll stop his plundering, so I'm gonna make him suffer" he said. "I just gotta know what he's up to, then I'll hit him hard."

"I might be able to help you" I said.

"I reckon you could help me figure out what he's doing in town" Walter continued, "I heard he's at the Ultra Luxe casino, run by the White Glove Society. Find out what his story is there, will you?"

"OK, I'll be back when I find out more about him" I said.

"I appreciate it, kid. See you soon" Phebus replied. And with that, I went inside the Ultra Luxe.

"Beg your pardon, but could I trouble you to turn over your weapons?" the Greeter asked, once I got inside.

"Sure, here you go" I replied, but kept some small weapons on me, then spotted Heck Gunderson at a table. I made my way over and introduced myself.

"Hello sir, my name is Jack Groves" I greeted Heck.

"Beg your pardon, but I'm looking for someone. You didn't happen to see a young man with dark brown hair and a white hat on lately, have you?" he asked.

"No, sorry" I replied.

"Doesn't anyone have a speck of information about where my son is?" he asked, sighing.

"You lost your son?" I asked, curious.

"My boy, Ted. He was right here. I only left a minute, and he's gone! I'd be looking for him myself, but I'm hoping he comes back" he said, saddened.

"Let me help you find your son" I said.

"I'm more than happy for your help, and there's a lot of money in it if you can get back safe" Heck told me.

With this knowledge, I went back outside to tell Walter about this.

"Heck's looking for his disappeared son, and I've agreed to help find him" I informed Phebus.

"If that makes Heck suffer, I'm all for it" Walter said, excited.

"I think you should put this past you and leave with your wife. Heck's already suffered enough" I told him, hoping he listened.

"I suppose you're right. Thank you" Walter said, then packed up and left, while I went back into the Ultra Luxe.

After turning over most of my weapons again, I asked around the casino, starting with Majorie, one of the main people there, who was one floor up.

"Heck Gunderson said he had business with the White Glove Society. What business?" I asked.

"What else? Gunderson and I have been discussing livestock" she told me.

"OK, well, I'm looking for someone who went missing recently" I pushed further.

"This again? I thought all of this was settled. I answered every one of the investigator's questions to his satisfaction and gave all the help I could" Majorie said, angrily. "For the last time, the White Glove Society has never and will never consume human flesh!"

I was taken back by this, as that I never mentioned human flesh. So I decided to ask more.

"Who did you talk to about the disappearance?" I asked.

"There was an investigator last week. He was hired by a young man whose bride-to-be went missing during their stay. You can guess what happened, right? She obviously got cold feet and ran off" she said, with her eyes darting to the left.

"Well, I'm investigating someone else. A man, and he recently went missing" I informed her. "Is there any way I can talk to the investigator?"

"If he hasn't checked out yet, yes. I had our manager, Mortimer, offer him a complimentary room as long as he'd be there."

"OK, thanks!" I said, going back to the ground floor.

I kept Boone close with me, even though he didn't have his sniper rifle, because I had no idea what surprises we might find, and went to see Mortimer.

"How may I be of service sir?" Mortimer politely asked.

"Marjorie said you gave a free room to a private investigator" I inquired.

"Ah yes, I remember that gentleman. Are you here to help his investigation?" he asked.

"I just need to speak to him about another investigation" I told him.

"Alright. He hasn't checked out yet. If you head back to the elevator, his room will be one floor above the lobby" Mortimer said, giving me the key to his room.

"I heard your group dines on human flesh" I inquired again.

"I heard that one too. I feel bad for the people jealous enough to say those nasty things" He said, annoyed.

"I too, know what it's like to feel the craving. How can I serve your cause?" I lied.

"Good, then you know what it's like to be discreet in matters of… nutrition. Perhaps you can help me" Mortimer said in a hushed tone. "I'm in a bind. I'm having a problem with the main course, because he has a temperamental father."

With a chill, I realized that they DID take Gunderson's kid, so I asked further.

"What about the boy you kidnapped?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Ted Gunderson's his name. It'd be simplest if you convince him this is all a misunderstanding" he said. "And then frame Heck by smearing blood in his room."

"I'll do it. Where can I find Ted Gunderson?" I lied.

"He's held in the kitchen under the Gourmand. Here are some keys that'll give you access" Mortimer said, while giving me keys to the kitchen and freezer.

I knew where Ted was, but I decided to check with the investigator, so I climbed the stairs and went to his room. To my shock, once I was there, the investigator was found dead on the floor! Just then, I heard footsteps, and turned around just in time to block a dress cane being swung at me, which was held by a member of the White Glove Society. Boone and I got in a fistfight with him and his partner, but eventually, we came out on top, with them beaten to death. I could've used my gun, but that would attract unwanted attention. I proceeded to check the dead investigator's body, only to find a matchbook on him, which only read on the back: _Steam Room. 4 PM._

I checked my pip-boy watch. Luckily, it was only 3:45 PM, but I had to hurry. I made my way to the Steam room by the bathhouse And found a man in a formal suit there, who introduced himself as Chauncey.

"Who are you?" he asked, bewildered.

"You first" I responded.

"You don't know? Good. That means they didn't send you after me" Chauncey sighed in relief. "Where's the gentleman I was to meet?"

"He's dead" I said bluntly.

"Oh shit! That means they know he was talking to someone on the inside!" he said, worried.

"Who're you afraid of?" I asked, curious.

"Mortimer. If he realizes it was me the investigator was planning to see, I'll be killed."

"What were you supposed to discuss here?" I pushed on.

"The girl who disappeared. I know what happened to her, because I was the one who distracted her fiance while the others took her. I'm not proud, but I had too! But they could see I had second thoughts" Chauncey said with remorse.

"So Mortimer is behind the disappearances, right?" I inquired.

"Yes. The White Glove Society forbids eating humans, but we weren't always like that. And now Mortimer and some others have regressed to the old ways" He told me.

"And what about Ted Gunderson?" I asked.

"Far as I know, he's alive. Mortimer wants him fresh. The White Gloves have a banquet every night at 7 PM, in the private section. Once they're done eating the human flesh, he'll tell them the truth" Chauncey said.

"Is there anything you can do to help me?" I asked him.

"I could sponsor you as an honorary member" he suggested.

"No thanks. I don't feel like joining cannibalistic freaks" I declared. "Any suggestions on how to get Ted out?"

"Well, they'll be sampling pre-war wines before the meal, so you could drug them, but it wouldn't stop further kidnappings. You'd have to expose Mortimer, except that he'll confess anyway" he thought, "Or, what if the revelation is a lie, and he was the only one who ate human flesh? If you can replace Philippe, the cook, and serve a convincing substitute instead, you could walk Ted out in front of everyone after Mortimer's speech. Then he'd have some explaining to do. Philippe's been trying to replicate the taste of human flesh for years, so he must have a recipe."

"Thanks, Chauncy. Goodbye" I said, about to leave.

"Let's plan on meeting again as soon as- wait," he suddenly paused. "Did you hear something? Were you followed?"

Just then, the door swung open, and a man with a silenced pistol and wearing bullets blew Chauncey's head to bits. I took cover behind a corner and shot a few times at the assassin, eventually killing him.

 _Dammit! That's twice I've been attacked, and twice that my help has been killed!_ I thought to myself. I had no interest in joining the society, so I headed straight to the kitchen, below the Gourmand. Down there, I quickly found Philippe, killed him, and hid his body in the cellar, but not before taking his recipe on the substitute human flesh, and snagging the key to the Gourmand, AKA members only area. I then cooked the substitute, and called on the intercom to come get it, and left before he came down.

Funny thing is, this wasn't the first time something like this happened. On another day, I was at an NCR Sharecropper farm, and I had to investigate what was wrong with the East Pump Station that produced water. Eventually, my search led to Vault 34, which was irradiating the water at the farm. Once Boone and I got to the Vault, it was just a matter of finding the source, and not dying of radiation, but we found out the source was at the reactor on the fourth floor. Luckily, we made it just in time to stop the flow of radiation and save the sharecroppers, after killing the overseer and decrypting messages, of course.

I ended up having to sneak around to find where the freezer was. At one point, I had to dress up as a member of the White Gloves to pass undetected, then lied to another about moving the kid. I decided to not drug the wine, since Chauncey said it wouldn't stop future kidnappings. I finally found the freezer, and disengaged the lock, where I found Ted Gunderson, weak but still alive.

"My daddy's gonna kill all you bastards once he finds out what you done to me!" he said, trying to sound tough.

"Calm down. I'm here to get you out of here" I told him, taking off my mask for a second.

"My daddy sent you? Goddamn it, I almost died in here! What took ya so long?" Ted asked rudely. "Who did this to me, anyway?"

"No time to explain. Let's just go now" I ordered him.

"Alright, I'm right behind you" he said, before following me out.

After sneaking around the place, we all finally managed to get out and into the Gourmand. Fortunately, I timed it just right, and barged in right when Mortimer finished his speech.

"What the Hell? Who is this trespasser?" Mortimer asked innocently.

"Bad news, Mortimer. No one's eating the boy you kidnapped" I said, very loudly.

"Doesn't matter. If you were trying to turn the White Gloves on me, you are sorely mistaken, as I made sure that all the members here were ones who WANTED to dine on human flesh. GET THEM!" Mortimer yelled.

And suddenly everyone got up and attacked my friends and I. I gave Boone a gun, and we starting firing everywhere, while Ted tried to fistfight. It was a long and bloody battle, and at one point, Boone was knocked unconscious. Eventually, it was just Mortimer and Marjorie, whom I executed with headshots. Sadly, I looked over, and saw that Ted was killed by the attack, and Boone realized this too when he regained consciousness. Saddened, we went to the casino floor to tell Heck of the terrible news, killing any White Gloves in our way.

"I'm sorry sir, Ted is dead" I said solemnly.

"Oh, Ted. My dear boy. Who's responsible for this!" Heck asked.

"It was Mortimer, one of the White Gloves, who had Ted taken. He's a cannibal" I informed him.

"Well, I guess I'll stop my deal with them to send them meat! That should be punishment enough!" Heck said, blind with rage.

"No, don't do that! That's just what Mortimer would want- for the Strip to plunge into cannibalism. You'd just be helping them" I told him.

"Alright, as much as I hate it, I'll keep sending them Brahmin meat" Heck sighed, "Here, I told you I'd pay you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry for your loss. Goodbye" I said, before leaving him to mourn. Still angered at Ted's death, I killed the cashier at the casino, and looted the safe of all the weapons and cash, not to mention finding my previous weapons, and then left the Ultra Luxe.

Well, there it is. I was asked why I'm called the Dirty Detective, and after massacring and looting a casino of cannibals, that's why. And that's also why my reputation on the Strip has been characterized as a "Soft-Hearted Devil".


	3. Case 3: Respect the Family

It was another fine day in New Vegas, and it was high noon before we started our case. Boone and I had spent money on drinks, food, women, and just fun in general. After a while, we went over to Mick and Ralph's store to get Boone a couple new weapons, and that's where our trouble began.

Mick and Ralph's was a reliable gun shop, although it was a bit shady, as they had a secret weapons compartment in the back, but other than that, they were pretty trustworthy, and I became good friends with them. But today, Mick let something slip while speaking to me.

"Yeah, it's a shame business isn't going as good as usual" Mick suddenly said.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked, curious.

"For some reason, the Omertas have stopped buying from us. They didn't say why, they just stopped" Mick replied.

"I might be able to find out what happened" I told him.

"Really? Thanks Mr. Groves!" Mick exclaimed. Little did I know that there was something more sinister going on.

As I arrived at the Omerta's casino, which was called Gomorrah, I was approached by a seemingly neat dressed man named Mr. Holdout.

"Hey, a bit of advice- you look like you could use… protection. Lucky for you, I got what you need" He told me.

"Alright, let's see what you have" I said as I bought a switchblade, brass knuckles, and a silenced pistol. Then I went inside, where I was greeted again by someone taking my weapons; guess it's a good thing I bought from Mr. Holdout. Unfortunately, I found out that no one was willing to speak with me about the Omertas, until I got outside, where I met one of the lead strippers, named Joanna.

"So, you've followed your desires to moi. I wonder; do you have what it takes?" She asked slyly.

"Oh, I always have what it takes" I said deviously.

"Ooh, confident. Follow me" Joanna said, while making her way to a room.

"I'm all yours. Are you ready to be mine?" she asked once we got inside.

"I'd like to talk first. I have questions about you…" I started.

"There's not much to say. Though there was someone who abused me, named Cachino. He also chased out my lover, a guy named Carlitos. If you find him, please let me know. I'm afraid I won't make it out without him, because Cachino or another Omerta might kill me" Joanna begged me.

"What about the Omerta's role in Gomorrah? What's the deal with Cachino?" I asked.

"Omertas run the place as a center for their illegal activity. Nero's the leader, and Big Sal is his right hand man, While Cachino is so much of a monster, even the Omertas would want to kill him if they found out what he's done. Carlitos used to be an Omerta too, but fell in love with me. He had to flee because Cachino found out" She said sadly.

"I'll right, I'll help. But first, let's have some fun…" I said, before going to bed with her.

It was morning by the time I woke up, and exited the casino. I'd heard that a Carlitos was at the Vault 21 hotel. So I started there, where I spoke with the manager, Sarah.

"Hello, is there a Carlitos here?" I asked.

"Why yes, he's usually in the dining area" Sarah informed me.

I went to the kitchen and found Carlitos.

"Hello Carlitos, Joanna would like to see you again" I informed him.

"She would? Listen, help her get to Freeside, it's our only way out of the city. I'll meet between midnight and dawn. But it might be too risky. The Omertas will surely kill us all!" he said.

"Leave that to me. I'll let Joanna know that you're ready to help her get out of here" I said before going back to the Gomorrah.

There wasn't too much trouble going back, although I did notice that the greeter gave me a funny look before confiscating most of my weapons. I found Joanna in her room again, readying a disguise for when she was leaving.

"I have news from Carlitos. He'll meet us in Freeside around Midnight. I'll sneak you out in that disguise" I informed Joanna.

"OK. When you give the word, I'm also taking some of my girls with me, and we'll meet you in the lobby" she replied.

I went to the lobby, hoping that Joanna would hurry. Sadly for me, I had to wait an hour for her and the girls to be ready. Once they were though, we were out of the casino and making our way from the Strip to Freeside. When we got outside the gate, we ran into Carlitos in an alley, where he expressed his gratitude. Unfortunately, the reunion was cut short by a small pack of Omertas ambushing us.

"Well, well, if it isn't our whore, Joanna… and I don't believe it, Carlitos!" the lead thug said, with mock surprise. "We had you guys clocked from the start, but we figured Carlitos would've ran by now. He should've fled long ago, but now, you have to pay the price."

"Actually, Carlitos is trading what he stole for Joanna. I'm here to make sure he does. And now, your boss will hear how you spoiled the mission" I lied to the leader.

"What mission? Why wasn't I informed?" he asked, bewildered.

"Because he kept it a secret" I said.

"Alright, we'll leave you alone. Just please don't tell the boss!" he said before leaving.

Carlitos and Joanna thanked me, but not before I made sure he made me pay 200 caps. Then Joanna gave one last piece of information.

"If I were you, I wouldn't mess with the Omertas anymore, but listen to this: Cachino said something about a big, nasty operation, something about 'getting even' with Mr. House" Joanna informed me before leaving.

Carlitos and Joanna were safe, but I wasn't done. I heard what the Omerta's plan might be, but I had two big questions about it: what is it, and why would they do it? With these questions, I had to find out from someone where Cachino might be, but all I got was shunning at mentioning his name. Luckily enough, I didn't have to look long, because after a while, he found me.

"I hear you've been asking questions about me dickweed. What the fuck do you want?" Cachino asked.

"I hear you've been doing business on the side" I said slowly.

"Business? The fuck you talking about? You asking to get burned?" he threatened. "Now you start talking real clear, and I mean fucking crystal clear, because I'm about to lose my patience."

"I hear you've been dealing with business that's off limits for the family" I explained.

"I don't give half a dick what you heard. Now get the fuck outta my face before I burn your sorry ass" Cachino said defensively, before leaving. I knew he was hiding something, so I decided to investigate. I found out where Cachino's room was, and once I got there, I picked the door open and went in. Once inside, I started looking around, and eventually I found his journal, which detailed pretty shady things outside of the family. I'm not going to try to remember everything, so here's a rundown of it:

 _Cachino's Journal documents a couple months of Cachino's activities. It contains a detailed ledger describing many of his business deals over the last few months, including the sales of chems and weapons. It is clear at a quick glance that these transactions are his own personal finances, and this is done behind the backs of the Omerta Family Management structure._

 _He also talks, in great detail, about many sexual encounters with Gomorrah prostitutes, including Joana._

 _After nearly every off-the-books sale, or sexual tryst he vows this one will be his last._

I had Cachino right where I wanted him, and went back to him, making it a point that I had his Journal.

"I found this ledger that proves some of your side business" I said, approaching him.

"Where the fuck did you get that? OK listen buddy, that's some dangerous shit you got there" Cachino said nervously. "That book could get me killed if the wrong people see it. What do you want?"

"Is this journal worth… 100 caps to you?" I said slyly.

"I can pay for it easy, but I also have info on the family business you'll find interesting" he told me quietly. "Between us, we can break up what they're planning, and we can save a lot of lives."

"OK, 100 caps and spill it" I ordered.

"Alright, thanks. Big Sal and Nero have been working day and night, arming themselves like an army, and using a new guy named Troike. They're also using a specialist named Clanden" Cachino informed me.

"What are they planning?" I asked, getting impatient.

"I don't know, just that it involves guns and muscle, and it's big. Only the bosses know, but they ain't telling no one" he replied.

"What about Troike and Clanden?" I inquired.

"Clanden gets the run of the place, but he's too nice, he seems like the pope. And Troike, he spends half the day pumping himself with chems, and the other half pumping hookers with his willy. One time we covered up him killing a hooker, so he gets us big shipments of weapons to pay for us not ratting" Cachino informed me.

Looking back, this was similar to a case I was working at the H&H Tool company, where I was trying to figure out what happened there. After finding numerous suspicious looking terminals, I was able to piece together journal entries by date, and the CEO of the company, Anthony House, slowly turned mad. The first email seemed reasonable, but the next few showed how insane the CEO got, the final message saying "Cindy-Lou can no longer save me". It was only after I found Anthony's office when I realized that he was Robert House's half-brother, and was afraid of an employee conspiring against him with Robert. It was finally revealed he went mad, and locked down the building activated the security, so that's how everyone died.

I decided to see Clanden, since he did seem to nice. I went to the suites level and found his room, and got into a conversation with him. Unfortunately, everything he said didn't help, but I knew he was hiding something, especially when I went to the kitchen and noticed signs of struggle and a lot of blood on the carpet. So, I waited until he left to search his suite. I didn't find anything until I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, that a safe was lodged behind a dresser, and inside it after I picked it were snuff tapes. I can't detail anything, but you can hear Clanden have violent sex with women, and carry out violent murder in the tapes.

My first thought was, _I knew he seemed too nice._ I immediately confronted Clanden about this.

"Nice to meet you. Need help with something?" Clanden asked innocently.

"Cut the crap, Clanden. I think the authorities would like to see these tapes I found in your safe" I informed him, showing him the snuff tapes.

"Well, I guess I should kill you before you have the chance to show anyone those tapes, because what do I have to lose?" Clanden threatened.

"I can't give you these tapes, they're evidence of a crime" I said, matter of factly.

"You made your choice then. Time to die" Clanden said, then attacked me. Luckily, I snuck in a .357 revolver on my way in earlier, and killed him with a headshot. Thank God no Omerta thugs ran in to shoot me.

I quietly exited the suites, and did a quick sweep of the lower lobby, where I found where Troike's shipments were, and I decided to pick those up later. I then went to the nightclub part of the main floor, where Cachino was waiting for me.

"Clanden's dead" I informed Cachino.

"Yeah, I heard. And so did the bosses Can't say I'm sad to see him go, he gave me the fucking creeps" he replied. "But now, they're a little bit upset about what's been done to muck up their plans, and they've tasked me to bring down who's responsible. There's not another chance of them in the same room, so I'll slip you a gun."

"Let's go take care of the bosses" I said, before leaving. I had one more stop to go before I was ready. I found Troike in the lower lobby and told him his contract with the family was over, then went back to the main floor and upstairs to deal with the bosses. Right before he went in, Cachino slipped me a small shotgun and some stimpacks.

When I got in, Big Sal and Nero were waiting for us, so I sat right down.

"I assume you know why we called you here?" Big Sal asked.

"No idea" I said innocently.

"Well, you've been a real thorn in our side. We've got business plans. You set us back a bit, I'll admit that" he said, with grudging respect. "However, we wanted you to know that nothing you did made a shit bit of difference, and you're going to die a failure."

"Well, as a last request, will you tell me more about your plan?" I asked, curious.

"Are you shitting me? You didn't even know what the plan was? Yeah, as a last request, I guess we can give you that courtesy" Big Sal then explained their plan. "Caesar asked us to provide a distraction on the Strip. So when he gives the word we're going to launch an all out assault on the Strip. First we're going to blow the Embassy, then we're going to use soldiers to kill every last motherfucker on the Strip. Then we'll run this joint. That'll teach Not-At-Home what can go on while he sits in his fucking ivory tower lording down from on high."

"Good to know. Now it's time to die Sal" I said before all three of us opened fire. It wasn't hard, since Cachino, Boone, and I all had shotguns, and we quickly made mincemeat of Big Sal and Nero. After that, Cachino thanked me.

"Thanks for the hard work back there. I'm gonna run a tight ship, don't worry" he told me. I was about to leave, but then I remembered how badly he treated Joanna, and I went back and executed him. Unfortunately, I killed him in front of everyone, so Boone and I had to fight our way through the Gomorrah. Before we left, I went back to the lower lobby and took the weapons shipment for myself, then went to the bank in the main lobby and looted all the safes after I killed the cashier.

As we exited outside, it was a new day, nice and brisk. I went back to Mick and Ralph's to inform them of everything that happened. They weren't too disappointed that the Omerta's wouldn't buy weapons anymore, but they understood. Finally, we left New Vegas, and took our adventures someplace else, seeing as how we stopped a mob from performing a hostile takeover on the Strip.


	4. Case 4: Traitor in the Ranks

It was another day in the Mojave Wasteland, and I decided to let Boone on a vacation. He got to stay at the presidential suite at the Lucky 38, while I spent my time at Camp McCarran, the NCR camp. Once there, I was let in, because I was previously accepted by the NCR, as I didn't have ties to the Legion. When I got inside, I went straight to the Terminal building, where I met Colonel James Hsu.

"I'm usually good with faces, but I don't think I've seen you here before. What brings you to Camp McCarran?" Hsu asked.

"I'm Jack Groves, here to provide support. Is there anything I might be able to help with?" I asked him.

"Well, we got the Legion breathing down our necks across the river. We took an officer alive last week, but so far he hasn't spoken a word" James responded.

"Anything else?" I inquired.

"Hmm… well,on top of everything else, I can't seem to send a patrol to the bathroom without being ambushed" Hsu grimly joked. "So someone's getting the word out."

"I can look into who's leaking NCR intelligence" I said. "I bet I could also make the Legion prisoner talk."

"Hmm… well, why not? Given your recent arrival, at least I can safely rule you out as the leak. I'd like to have absolute trust in my men, but it's not practical now, so go ahead and look into it. Captain Curtis is heading the investigation, so he can fill you in" James thought over. "I got Lieutenant Boyd on the Legion prisoner already, but she's hit a wall, so she might have use for you."

I figured that I could get information about the leak from the Legion prisoner, so I went upstairs to talk with Boyd to see if I could speak with him, which was revealed his name was Silus.

"Hello, Lieutenant. I'm here to help interrogate the prisoner" I informed Boyd.

"Well, there is one thing you could do. See, NCR frowns upon torturing prisoners of war, but you're not NCR…" she said, and I knew what she meant. I agreed to help, gave up most of my weapons, and went inside the room, where I was greeted by Silus.

"What an ugly little worm you are. What pile of excrement did the Lieutenant pluck you from, worm?" he said with a sneer.

"You're about to tell me everything you know, Silus" I ordered.

"Of course, all you had to do was ask. I'll tell you everything I know" Silus mocked, then proceeded to hurl more insults. Although he did hint that whatever the Legion is planning, by this time next month, the streets of New Vegas will be decorated with NCR heads. I was out of options, so I decided to torture him a bit, usually just punching, and Boyd sent me out, talked with the prisoner again, then sent me back in to talk again with Silus.

"You gonna tell me now?" I asked threateningly.

"Yes. This is pointless. I'm dead either way" Silus said, then spilled his information. "Caesar is hiding something, but it's obvious he has a headache. That's no way to lead an army. He even refuses to give orders. I know that Caesar has a spy in the Camp, who relays NCR Troop movements from the base to Caesar. He's been here a while, now he's an officer. Caesar could send him here to help me escape, but does he? NO!"

"Do you know the spy's identity? I asked.

"If I knew who he was, I'd tell you, because like I said, I'm dead either way. But like I said, none of this information will change the outcome for you. No force can hold back the tide of the Legion" Silus finished, right when Boyd walked back in.

Boyd congratulated me, and said that I did the NCR a lot of good, and hoped that I feel proud, and then paid me for my services. I was thinking on executing Silus, but decided against it, as it wasn't my style unless if they really deserved it, like Cachino and Mortimer a while back. Unfortunately, this didn't help at all with the investigation, and left me with even more questions, but at least it was shortened a little bit when Silus said the spy was an officer, which narrowed down the suspects just slightly. I hoped to get some of these questions answered when speaking to the leader of the investigation, Captain Curtis.

"Colonel Hsu sent me to help you on the investigation" I informed Curtis.

"Smart man, we need all the help we can get. The culprit is slippery though, every time an MP gets close to him, he changes his habits" Curtis said. "I'd recommend talking to Lieutenant Boyd."

It sounded like he was hiding something, so when he turned away, I quietly pickpocketed him. Unfortunately, all I found were activation codes for an explosive and control access codes, which I didn't know what they were for. I also found a note on his desk, detailing a sniper's nest location. This was all suspicious, but I put it in the back of my mind for now, and went to ask around the Camp.

"Haven't you done enough?" Boyd said, stressed out.

"Have you noticed anything suspicious lately?" I asked her.

"What kind of MP would I be if I didn't notice anything suspicious?" she replied. "I've had troops missing, break-ins, thefts, you name it."

"Who's missing, tell me about the break-ins, and what about the thefts" I listed off.

"What about the missing people?" I asked her.

"A ranger named Anders is missing, but it's no mystery as to where he is, but another, named Corporal White is missing. Check Gomorrah, because that's where he was last" Boyd told me.

"What about the break-ins?" I asked.

"They aren't exactly break-ins, but someone keeps going up to the tower at night. What bothers me is that they force their way in, that means they had the access codes" Boyd said. I shuddered, because I already knew that Curtis had those codes, but played dumb.

"Would you be willing to give me the access key so I can check it out?" I asked her.

"Sure, if you want to investigate. If you find something, please let me know" Boyd told me.

"I'll keep an eye out" I said before leaving.

Strange, all evidence seemed to be pointing to Curtis. I didn't think that was possible, because he was the one leading the investigation. And it couldn't be Boyd, because she doesn't have the access codes anymore. I decided to go to the tower to investigate.

On my way there, I decided to hack a terminal to get the Control Access Tower Log, but only found out the shifts of the soldiers on duty. I decided to go up the tower, using the codes I was given. Unfortunately, I found nothing, as it was morning, and there was no trace of the culprit. Then again, I thought back to where Curtis left abruptly after speaking to me, and decided to wait until nighttime to go back.

I went back inside, and found Curtis. I decided to not inform him of my lead, because he was still my prime suspect. I especially wondered why, when I went inside, it seemed like He just went in too. I decided to stake out the place for a while.

I finally got back in the tower, and whaddya know? The culprit was Curtis! I decided not to confront him and listen to him on the radio, where I learned that he was planning on destroying the monorail. That must be what the explosive was for. Unfortunately, Curtis caught me.

"What're you doing up here?" Curtis said.

"I'd ask the same thing to you. I guess we know who the leak is" I informed him.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Curtis said, before opening fire. Thankfully, I had my own weapon, and made short work of him.

Once I was done with Curtis, I needed to find that bomb. I took off straight to the monorail and searched everywhere. Eventually, I found the bomb in a vent, and used the deactivation code I found from earlier, and stopped the bomb. Then I went to inform Hsu about this.

"You won't have problems with intelligence leaks anymore. It was Curtis, and I can prove he was in the Legion" I said.

"Alright, thank you. This explains everything" Hsu said, before paying me. I thanked him, then went on my merry way to look for Corporal White for Boyd.

I first checked his checked his locker in the concourse. Nothing there, except for his journal, which only talked about water pipes. I then traveled back to New Vegas to Gomorrah, to talk to a stripper White frequently saw, named Dazzle.

Once I finally got to Gomorrah, the greeter asked for my weapons. Luckily, they forgot about my last… visit. I kept some weapons on me, and found Dazzle in the courtyard.

"You ever spend time with a trooper named White? He's missing" I asked.

"Well, he used to talk about water on this farm. Try the guy who owned the farm, named Bascom" she replied. I thanked her and left. On the way to the farm, I went to the Lucky 38 and picked up Boone to go with me.

When I finally got to the farm, Bascom was waiting for me.

"I'm looking for Corporal White, and was told he spoke to you" I said.

"Yeah, he was looking into the water storage, but hasn't come back. I'd speak to Lieutenant Romanowski" Bascom informed me, and I went to speak with her.

"I'm looking for White. Bascom said you spoke with him" I said.

"He's solving the mystery of the water storage, and was talking with Tom Anderson, a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse" he said sternly. "There were apparent crops in Westside."

"That can't be a coincidence then" I said, then went to the Westside.

When I finally got to Westside, I immediately talked to Anderson.

"I heard White came here to investigate the water storage" I said.

"No one here has heard of that name" Anderson said.

"It was easy to figure the NCR water storage points to you, so save me some time" I retorted.

"Fine, I'll tell you: I killed White to save face for Westside" Tom told me, regrettably.

"I'm taking you out" I said, before killing Anderson. After that, I picked up his confession, and went back to McCarran to tell Boyd the news.

We got back to the Camp, and I met up with Boyd, telling her what happened, and showed her the confession. She seemed heartbroken, but she'll probably tough it out. Y'know, this all reminded me of another case where I had to investigate a woman named Alice Hostetler, whose mother was worried her boyfriend might try to kill her and steal her money. Eventually, I found a note from Alice's boyfriend that detailed their plan to rob Mrs. Hostetler, and I killed her boyfriend Andy and stopped Alice from killing her own mother.

With my work at McCarran done, Boone and I went back to the Strip to get a drink, and some much needed rest.


	5. Lost Cases

CASE #1: BOONE'S WIFE

I was asked once by a witness on how I met my best friend, Craig Boone. It involved a mystery, a betrayal… and a death. This is how I, Jack Groves, found my Watson.

I've explained before that when I was solving my own attempted murder, I had to stop at Novac to find the son of a bitch who shot me. After learning of where my would be killer might be next, I decided that I was too tired to fight off more powder gangers or other bastards on the trail, especially at night. So, I rented a room next to Manny Vargas. On my way there, I met Manny.

"Hey, you new?"

"Yes, I needed a place to stay. Do you work for the NCR?" I responded.

"Used to, not anymore. I gotta go to bed, I need to rest before my day shift at the Dino Gift Shop" Manny went on.

"Who runs the night shift then?" I asked.

"Guy named Craig Boone. He used to be in the NCR too. Longer than me." Manny replied. "Don't say the wrong thing though, he seems emotionless, but might snap"

"Why's that?" I asked again, curious.

"His wife went missing quite recently, and he's lately been alone" Manny responded before leaving.

I was curious about this, and decided Boone needed someone to talk to, so I went up to his sniper's nest to start a conversation. You could feel the coolness in his voice and eyes, that is, if he ever took his sunglasses off. Must've been a sniper thing, I guess.

"You new in town?" He asked me.

"Yes, I'd like to ask about your wife's disappearance" I informed him.

"Good, I could use your help" Boone quickly said.

"Do you know where she could've gone?" I asked.

"Carla's dead. Don't ask how I know, I just do. And I know that someone in Novac sold her out. It's not like her to leave" He told me, sadness in his voice.

"How can you trust me this fast?" I asked, skeptical.

"Well, you're a stranger, that's a start" he explained. "Like I said, someone in Novac set Carla up, I just don't know who. Try asking around to find clues. When you find the culprit bring them in front of the sniper nest. Hear, put on my beret to signal me, and I'll do the rest"

"Alright, I'll help you". I told him, then left.

I started by asking the owner of the gift shop, since he was closest. Then, I met up with Manny in the morning, Then spoke with the other residents of Novac, beginning with Cliff Briscoe, Ranger Andy, and McBride. I finally went to the front desk, putting on my formal outfit and pre-war hat, and asked Jeannie May Crawford a few questions.

"Do you know what happened to Carla Boone?" I asked.

"All I heard was that she left recently. Her poor husband, he must be worried sick" She said. I don't know why, but she sounded like she was hiding something. It was even more suspicious when she shifted her weight, and I caught a glimpse of a safe in the floor. _Why would she be hiding that?_ I wondered. So, I waited for her to leave, and when she was gone, I picked at the safe lock until it opened. There was nothing in there, except for a piece of paper, marked the "Bill of Sale", which read:

 _We, the representatives of the Consul Officiorum, have this day bargained and purchased from Jeannie May Crawford of the township of Novac the exclusive rights to ownership and sale of the slave Carla Boone for the sum of one thousand bottle caps, and those of her unborn child for the sum of five hundred bottle caps, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. We warrant the slave and her young to be sound, healthy, and slaves for life. We covenant with the said, Jeannie May Crawford, that we have full power to bargain and sell said slave and her offspring. Payment of an additional five hundred bottle caps will be due pending successful maturation of the fetus, the claim to which shall be guaranteed by possession of this document. M. Scribonius Libo Drusus et al._

 _Administrators of M. Licinius Crassus, Consul Officiorum ab Famulatus_

My blood turning cold, I realized that Jeannie was the one who sent Carla away. I quickly calmed myself, and walked outside, calmly telling her I need to show her something in front of the dinosaur. On the way there, I thought thank God that there weren't any mutants or hostile robots who did it.

"Alright, if that's what you think" She replied, without hesitating.

As we calmly walked up there, I waited until we stopped at the very front to slip Boone's beret on. A split second later, a gunshot from a rifle was heard, and the next thing I saw, there was blood and brains were Jeannie's head used to be. I quickly went back to Boone, and he asked me how I knew, and I simply replied by showing him the Bill of Sale. He gratefully thanked me, and said that he might stay in Novac.

"You could go with me. I need a companion. Besides, you'd survive longer if you had someone watching your back" I inquired.

"You're right. Alright, I'll go. Just tell me when we're leaving" Boone replied.

We left the next morning, ready to go to the place I heard that the guy I'm after, and his friends, the Great Khans, might be holed up: Boulder City.

CASE #2: LEGION HOLOCAUST

One day, when Boone and I were strolling through the wasteland, an NCR stopped us when we got to the irradiated hellhole known as Camp Searchlight.

"Hold up! You should turn around! This whole place is irradiated to Hell. Go back to Novac" He yelled.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm First Sergeant Astor, and I'd advise you to leave!" Astor said.

"If you're stuck here, or at least I'm assuming you are, since the place is irradiated, do you have anything you'd like me to do for you, while you stay here?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you could sneak into the Legion's base, Cottonwood Cove, and find out what they're up to, it'd be greatly appreciated" Astor replied. "Also, plant a bug on their radios, so we'll know updates on plans."

"Alright" I said, and then Boone and I set off to investigate the Legion. It was a long road, and we had to kill the occasional geckos, but we finally made it, and perched above a high hill, overlooking their tents, the HQ, and the crucified slaves. When we saw the slaves, I felt sick, and Boone got angry, since that's how his wife died.

"OK, I have a plan: wait until dark, then sneak in" I told Boone, who nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, we didn't expect so many people to still patrol at night. So, I got out my rocket launcher and blew up most of the Legionaries, and then Boone finished them off with his sniper rifle. After I looted the bodies, especially their leader, Aurelius of Phoenix, we made our way into the HQ, and after bugging the radio and searching through the filing cabinets, I finally found the Legion Raid Intel. Only problem was that it was only half the notes, so we went to the second floor and searched until we found the patrol notes, which were in Aurelius' private desk, as well as taking the personalized weapon, Recompense of the Fallen, then left the camp with Boone.

Once I got back to Camp Searchlight, I handed over the Legion's intel and told Astor the news.

"Here's the Legion's intel" I informed the First Sergeant.

"Thanks! Now, there's one more thing you could do, but you have to be crazy- you could kill everyone in that camp" Astor said.

"Oh, they're already dead. I slaughtered them, the old fashioned way" I boasted, and Boone backed me up.

"Wow. I took a whole battalion at the Dam to stop those brutes, but you two took them on, all by yourself. You're a beast son. Here's some extra for all your work" Astor said, and gave me 350 bottle caps in total. I thanked the First Sergeant, and with that, Boone and I headed off somewhere else in the Mojave Wasteland.


	6. Recorded Pre-War Case

_Recorded Pre-War Case, 2014_

My name is John Hargraves, and I'm a detective. I'm usually stationed at a small town in Iowa, called Nevada. Most cases haven't stood out, except one. This is the story that turned my life around, made me question religion, my beliefs, and introduced to the the cultists of towns. This is the story of when I went through Hell, and the Hell seemed too real.

It was a hot afternoon, and I'd just finished game of darts at the local bar, when a disgruntled man came up to me and asked me to look into a case. He was a bit big, clearly weighed more than I did, and had the stench of cigars and whiskey on his breath. We stared at each other for a bit, until I broke the silence.

"Sir, do you have anything to say? If you do, then spit it out" I said casually.

"I'm sorry man, it's just it's an honor to finally meet you" the man rambled.

"Please, it's just Nevada. You could literally see me walking down a street" I told him nonchalantly.

"Sorry sir. The name's Matthew Parkinson. And I'd like you to look into this old church near here. It's just a Catholic church, named after Saint Paul. I believe it's either haunted, or some type of cult is secretly using it as a cover" Parkinson said nervously.

"Great. I'm pretty sure ghosts don't exist, and I seriously doubt that a satanist cult would be in a small town like this" I said, doubtful.

"Well, just check it out anyway" exclaimed Matthew. "All of us, including the priest, is worried something shady is going on. And with that, Matthew left me a phone number and address to the church, and then left me to my drink. I had nothing else to do, so I just went back to the apartment for the night, planning on going to the church first thing tomorrow.

Once I woke up, I decided to pay a visit to St. Paul's church. I woke up late, so I barely had breakfast. Oh well, breakfast is overrated anyway. So, I quickly got into my car, and drove to the address. Luckily, when I got there, I caught the priest right before he was leaving.

"Hello, sir, My name is John Hargraves. I'm a detective" I said, extending my hand. "I heard from one of the people here that there might be something weird going on at this church"

"Oh, you mean Matthew? Yeah, I sent him. I usually stay late to work on things in my office in the basement, and prepare my sermon for Sunday mass. I'm Father Stephen, by the way" he said, shaking my hand. "I swear, sometimes I can hear chantings near my office in the basement, but I can never find the people who I think are speaking! That's when I sent Matthew to see you."

"Why didn't you come see me yourself?" I asked, curious.

"Oh, well, I had some work to do that night, and it was more than usual, because mass is tomorrow morning" Stephen said.

"If you don't mind, I'll take a look at that basement right now" I said.

"Of course! Take as long as you need. I need your help, after all!" Father Stephen said enthusiastically. And with that, we ventured into the basement, wondering what we'd find.

The first thing that caught my attention once I got down there: the smell. The entire basement smelled like something died down there. I'm not sure if it was a body, or what. But I knew that whatever it was, I had to find out before the end of the day, and before the next Sunday mass started. We got to the bottom of the stairs, and the entire basement was pitch black. Luckily, I always come prepared with a flashlight. As I turned on the flashlight, a bright white beam shot across a hallway, revealing four rooms on each side. I looked to the left, and saw that there was a lot switch. Carefully, I went over the the switch and flipped in on, only to find out that it didn't work, and apparently blew a fuse. I didn't have time to wire the light switch, so I just stuck to my flashlight.

I tried looking through each room, but all the walls were blank white. It was until I got to the final room, which was directly down the hall, where the room wasn't empty. It was built like a small chapel, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary. As I was about to leave, I found a small piece of black fabric, just at one wall. I picked it up, and it looked like it belonged to a priest's robe, but instead was black, not white.

"What is it?" Father Stephen said, suddenly behind me.

"I dunno, but it looks like it's a priest's robe, but black, not white" I replied. "I'm gonna have to go back to my office at the station to look it over." And with that, I left the church, and headed back to the police station. By the time I got to my car, the wind was howling, and I had to keep my hat on, but it was ok driving back.

I raced to the forensics lab, and tested the piece of fabric. The forensics guy, Dan, didn't mind, since he was a good friend anyway. I quickly tested the fabric, and found out that it's just a usual piece of a priest's robe. Unfortunately, that was my only lead, and now I was nowhere. I didn't know what to do, so I just went to my local McDonald's for lunch, and thought things over. After I got my meal, I went back to my apartment to take a nap for the the end of the day, but when I got there, someone was waiting for me at my door.

The man was dressed all in black, and he had a hood over his head, so I couldn't see his face. When I tried to move closer to get a better look, the stranger pulled out a knife and attacked me. The knife was much bigger than the usual ones I've seen, and looked more look like a machete, so I got out my collapsable nightstick, and parried his attacks. He was a good fighter, but eventually, he slipped and I disarmed him, then started to interrogate him.

"Who the fuck are you?" I practically yelled in the guy's face. "Answer, dammit!"

"I am one of the many soldiers in the army of damnation" the mysterious man said cryptically. "And you are digging too deep in something you should not know!"

"Well, I'll find out what you're up to, and I'm shutting you down!" I told him.

"No, you won't. The time has come for the final victim!" and with that, the stranger pulled out a much smaller knife, and slit his own throat. Not knowing what to do, I called up Dan to help me get this guy to the morgue, and decided to get some sleep and check on the body in the morning. Unfortunately, the incident caused me to have a hellish nightmare of a cult who sacrificed victims to an evil demon. After that, I woke up in a cold sweat, and because I couldn't sleep, went to the morgue.

When I arrived there, the lead pathologist, Ray, was waiting for me.

"Hi Ray, so what do we got here?" I asked, friendly.

"Hey, John, the guy's name was Larry Gray. Apparently he worked a bit with that church you're investigating" Ray told me. Curious, I made a mental note that he worked at St. Paul's.

"Anything else?" I asked further.

"Yeah, the machete was apparently custom made, as well as the knife, and the clothing was made of a fabric similar to that robe piece you found earlier today" Ray told me.

"Great. At least we know they're connected" I said. "I'll speak with Father Stephen tomorrow. Guess it's time to go to church." And then I went back to my apartment for the night.

When I woke up, I quickly got dressed, had a breakfast burrito at the nearest McDonald's, and went straight to the church. Luckily, I was early for mass at 10:00, so I immediately found Father Stephen and asked him a few questions.

"Good morning Father. I was on my way home last night, when I was attacked last night by a man by the name of Larry Gray, and I found out that he's a frequent member of the church. Do you know anything that would make him attack someone?" I asked sternly.

"God no! Larry would never do anything like that! Where is he? I could talk to him" Stephen asked.

"He's dead. After he attacked me, he slit his own throat" I replied.

"Good lord, no! He was such a good person, what would make him think of doing this?" Stephen pondered.

"I don't know, but I am going to find out. I'll stick around and attend mass, it might point me in the right direction" I informed Father Stephen, before sitting in a pew in the back.

I gave up on faith long ago, and the sermon was pretty boring. I could barely keep awake, much less listen for anything unnatural. But somehow, I could've sworn I heard chanting from below, just like how Matthew described it. So, quietly, I made my way downstairs, and started searching the basement.

It seemed like the basement hadn't been used in a very long while, because it seemed to smell even worse than my last visit. Also, the light switch didn't work, so I had to get out my flashlight to show me where to go. After wandering a bit, I finally found the door at the end of the hallway that I previously entered, and upon opening it, unfortunately found nothing but a blank room with a few chairs and books. There was nothing new, until I started to leave, when I saw a footprint near a certain place in the wall! By the looks of it, it seemed to be the boot of a middle-aged man, but it just led to a blank wall. I found this weird, particularly because the print was pointed towards the wall, and was not deep enough to have stayed. I jotted this down before heading upstairs and wait for the sermon to be over, so as to not cause unnecessary ruckus.

I got back upstairs quickly, just when Stephen was finishing Sunday mass. When I got up, Stephen turned to me, and quickly finished his sermon to come speak to me.

"So, found anything?" Stephen asked, anxious.

"Yeah, I found a bootprint beside a wall in the basement. Only problem was, there's nothing at the wall. Do ya have a hammer anywhere here?" I said.

"Of course, it's in maintenance" Stephen informed, before I went to get the hammer.

I arrived back in the basement with the hammer, and with a couple swings, I found out the wall was fake, and there was a small, white door. Before I could do anything, I felt something blunt hit me in the back, knocking me into unconsciousness. By the time I came to, I was in what looked like a hospital room. A nurse came to tell me that I suffered severe blunt trauma, and if I needed anything, she'd be outside. With that, the lights went out, and I saw a few robed figures coming to me. The leader stopped in front of me, with his hood up so I couldn't see his face, and started speaking in a raspy voice.

"Good work, detective. You heard our calling. But now, it ends. We've come to give you a warning: stop digging, or else more people will suffer" the masked leader said, and with that, they all vanished in what looked like smoke, and the lights went on. I wondered what he meant by more people suffering, because no one was harmed previously, when I heard a dripping at the sink in the corner of the room. Thinking it odd, I went over and opened the cabinet below, thinking it was a leaky pipe, but turned out to be much worse. I gasped when I saw what it was. The thing causing the drip was the mutilated body of Matthew, with his eyes gouged out, a partial cut nose, and a deep wound slit across the throat. He had no shirt on, and there was a huge hole in his chest, as if someone shot it with a cannon, and the words "SACRIFICE" were written across the stomach. I quickly got a doctor to bring it to the morgue and perform an autopsy, and we didn't waste any time.

"What's odd here is that all results for the tests came up as nothing. The only real thing we have is the the phrase "sacrifice" on the victim's torso. Possibly a message from that weird cult?" the pathologist on stand by said.

"Yes. This is odd. I'm going back to the church to check something out" I informed.

"OK, see you later. By the way, you've been out for about 5 hours, and it's a bit dark. Might wanna grab a flashlight" the pathologist cautioned.

"Thanks, but I got my own" I told him, before leaving. He was right, it was dark out, but luckily, nothing bad happened on my way back to church. I went inside, assuming that no one was there, and started searching the entire place, top to bottom. I finally found Father Stephen's private room, and what I saw shocked me. It was always locked, but I usually carried a screwdriver to pick the lock to get in, and when I forced myself into the room, I found pretty much everything in black and red. I thought it was odd, since normally the colors were white and green, but then I noticed a bottle of black ink dye. After pulling out the piece of black fabric (I kept a piece for investigating), I matched it with the white robe as the same fabric. With a chill, I looked around more and found a cross unmistakably upside down, and after finding a nearby sink, ripped off a piece of the white robe, and after testing it, realized it matched with the already black fabric, and figured that Father Stephen was behind all this. With a chill down my spine, I turned around, only to find another man in a black robe staring at me, with a look in his eyes that meant certain death.

"You shouldn't be here" the man said. "We warned you to stay away. And now, you shall die!" before pulling out another machete, and attacked me. Luckily, I still had my nightstick with me, and quickly blocked his attacks. After parrying all his moves, I quickly disarmed him and interrogated him.

"Oh no, you're not dropping out on me. What the fuck are you guys up to, and what sacrifice do you need!" I yelled in his face.

"I'll say nothing, and die before you get anything out of me!" the man in black replied defiantly.

"Don't tempt me! Now, what is this Cult of the Damned doing, and who is the final sacrifice?" I yelled in his face.

"You will find that out soon enough!" he said, and with that, shoved me off him with incredible strength. As I collided with a wall, I felt a couple ribs break, as well as the wall beginning to crack. I got up, and was about to throw a punch at the man robed in black, but when my fist almost connected, he literally vanished in smoke, right before my eyes. I found this extremely spooky, but it got even worse, because right after, the entire room began to shake. Books were flying everywhere, the chairs were being thrown around, and the mirror shattered into a million pieces. The mirror pieces suddenly flew at me, and I only brought up my hands just in time to be cut by the mirror. I quickly rushed out of the room, only for the entire church to shake as if a massive force that was similar to a tornado had hit it. Terrified, I struggled to get out of the church, and ran back to the police station, where I thought was the only place safe, and didn't trust my own apartment, after the attack from Larry.

When I got to the police station, I was pretty shaken from the events at the church. I went to talk with my other friend at the precinct, Lucas. I decided I needed some help with this, so I went to ask him a few questions.

"Hey John, how goes?" Lucas greeted. "You look like shit, man."

"Oh, it's going, Luke. I don't know how, but it seemed like the church I'm looking into appears to actually be haunted. I know, I don't believe in the supernatural, and I stopped believing in Christianity after my father died. But I just saw an entire church come alive as if a giant was shaking it back and forth" I told him.

"I dunno man. Maybe it really is haunted. I think you should figure this out quickly though" Lucas told me.

"I will, once I get some sleep here" I said.

"You're not going to the apartment tonight?" Lucas inquired.

"Fuck no. I got attacked there the other night. There's no way I'm going back right now" I told him, before sitting at my desk to sleep.

I was planning on waking up in the morning to do an investigation, but I awoke just a few hours later, at around 3:00 AM. I woke up because I heard a loud noise of breaking glass. Nervous, I tried flipping the lights on, only to find that the power was out. Scared, I made my way to the armory and armed myself with a pistol and a shotgun. I turned, and there were more of those black robed cultists! I tried shooting them with the shotgun, but the bullets went through them, like they were smoke!

"The time has come for the final sacrifice!" they all chanted, before darkness consumed me into unconsciousness. When I came to, I discovered that I was still in the police station. The lights were back on, and as I went through the precinct, the reason no one assisted me was because everyone was dead, with eyes gouged, throats torn, and more chest cavities like last time. Terrified, I decided it was time to finish this once and for all, and go back to the church.

I arrived at St. Paul's, and the church was already covered in blood all over the walls. Unfortunately, the lights were again knocked out, so I had to use a flashlight again in the basement. I arrived in that blank room, and tried to figure out what was going on, and thought back to that fake wall, which was somehow replaced now. The chantings were much, much louder this time, so I figured they wouldn't hear a gunshot. I aimed my shotgun at the wall and pulled the trigger, tearing apart the plaster, revealing the small white door. I gently pulled it open to reveal a tunnel, and after climbing through it, I pushed myself to keep going, even though there were tons of spiders, and finally arrived to a ritualistic room.

"Well done. You've found our sacred room used for our rituals. And now, we have you as the final sacrifice. Prepare to be given the honor of bestowing us with immense power with your death" I heard behind me, and turning, saw a priest like man, with a black robe and wearing a red sash, while carrying a gold-encrusted knife and old book with him.

"Give it up, Stephen. I know it's you. Why are you doing this? You're supposed to preach the word of God" I asked Stephen, who revealed himself by lowering his hood.

"Why, immortality, of course! Do you really think I believed anything from the Christian religion? No! Satan is this world's true master, and he shall grant me eternal life once I please him with your blood!" Stephen shouted raising a knife at me.

"No!" I shouted, trying to shoot him, but the bullets just went passed him, as he stabbed me in the chest. I coughed up blood, heard Stephen say a few things in a tongue I didn't know of, and I felt as if I was leaving my body. I then saw darkness, and what seemed like the Devil himself, coming to collect my soul. _No_ , I thought, _This is not how it goes down. NO!_ I screamed silently. Apparently, it somehow worked, and I somehow found myself in my own body again.

"What? Impossible! That can't happen!" Stephen yelled while looking at me. I figured that the book was somehow the source of their rituals and powers, and anger in my eyes, I kicked the knife away from him, and with all my strength, I grabbed the book, threw it at a wall, and tore it apart with a single shotgun blast. All around me, the men in black robes were screaming and howling, and the church was shaking more violently than a damn earthquake. Stephen attempted to swipe again at me with a knife, but I punched him and then shot him point blank with my pistol, sending blood and brains everywhere. Scared of what could happen, I quickly dashed upstairs and out of the church, got in the car I took, and drove off while never looking back on the church, and on the town, in general.

It's been six months since that's happened, and I've not even thought of going back to Nevada, in fear of something else could happen. I'm on the run now, living at cheap motels and leaving early the next morning. So if you've found this audio recording and are in Nevada, do not, I repeat, DO NOT GO NEAR THE ST. PAUL'S CHURCH. Only death and destruction awaits you there.

THE END


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